


A Month of Difference

by JadeLight



Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Sequel Trilogy
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, F/M, Soldier Ben
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-02
Updated: 2021-01-02
Packaged: 2021-03-11 05:09:00
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,206
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28499568
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/JadeLight/pseuds/JadeLight
Summary: When a month passes with no contact from her fiance, Ben, Rey grows worried.
Relationships: Kylo Ren/Rey, Rey/Ben Solo, Rey/Ben Solo | Kylo Ren
Comments: 5
Kudos: 73
Collections: World Between Worlds Holiday Cookie Exchange 2020





	A Month of Difference

**Author's Note:**

  * For [CajunSpice714](https://archiveofourown.org/users/CajunSpice714/gifts).



> I hope my giftee enjoys this, whoever you are! (Also, this is un-beta'd, so sorry for any mistakes or if anything doesn't make sense!)

A month. It had been an entire month since Ben had checked in in any form. He usually didn’t go over a week or two without calling or emailing. It could be difficult to get a signal on his missions, or he wouldn’t be allowed outside contact for security reasons, but he’d never gone quite so long without at least warning her he’d be incommunicado.

Rey grabbed a wrench and tried not to dwell on the thought that being “only” his fiance she wouldn’t be informed if something had happened to him, if he’d been injured, or worse, while away. They’d contact his parents instead, and although she knew that Leia would let her know if they had heard anything, that knowledge still stung. She saw them at least once a month for dinner at their huge house, and Rey still felt a little out of place there.

After years of estrangement, Ben had reached out and he and his parents had put in the work to repair their relationship. It wasn’t perfect, there were still hurt feelings and resentments they had to deal with regularly, but Leia and Han had always been exceedingly kind to and accepting of Rey. Rey had delicately asked at the last dinner if Leia had heard from Ben, but Leia told her they hadn’t, but they didn’t have any kind of schedule for talking to him, so she hadn’t seemed worried. With a huff Rey resumed work on her car, deciding that if he hadn’t checked in by the next morning that she’d try contacting his commanding officer in the afternoon after school.

His CO couldn’t give her information about his whereabouts, but hopefully, she’d be able to tell by the woman’s tone of voice if there was something wrong. Tonight, though, she’d just have to stay busy. Her car wasn’t quite due for the oil change she was giving it, but she needed her hands moving and she’d already finished her lesson plans for the week and gone over the small amount of homework her kindergarteners had turned in.

Her students offered sweet distractions during the day. This afternoon one of her favorite students (though she would admit to absolutely no one that she had favorite students) had approached Rey during naptime, asking Rey if she was okay when she saw a tear slip down her teacher’s cheek. Rey smiled and assured the little girl that she was fine, she was just thinking about some grownup things, and she gratefully accepted the hug the young child offered. The girl clung to Rey fiercely, then pulled back and wiped away Rey’s tears before smiling at her and going back to lay on her mat. Rey’s chest had ached at the care of a child who had no idea what she was going through.

Crawling into bed that night, Rey stared at a picture of Ben, standing so proudly in his uniform. He’d told her that he joined the service because he wanted to make a difference. His unit handled search and rescue, often in dangerous territory, and while she was deeply proud of him, the worry nagged at her at times like this. With a sigh Rey turned off the light and pulled Ben’s pillow into her chest, needing to feel close to him while she slept.

———

The day passed slowly, with more of her children being irritable than normal. Rey figured they might be picking up on her own mood and tried to be even more cheerful than usual, having the class sing fun songs, and encouraging them to talk about their feelings if they were feeling angry or upset.

She needed to take her own advice. She didn’t want to worry Leia, but the call to Ben’s CO this afternoon hadn’t yielded any answers (the woman had been as tight-lipped as it was possible to be), and she needed to talk to someone about her own worries. She could always talk to one of her friends, Finn or Rose would be happy to listen, but they couldn’t understand her fears in the same way Leia would.

Rey texted Leia to make sure it was okay to come over, and headed that way. When she pulled up in front of their large house she spotted Han under his car in one of the garages. She made her way over to him and lightly kicked the creeper he was laying on. Han rolled out from under his classic Falcon and grinned up at Rey.

“Well, look who the cat dragged in. How you doing, Rey?”

Rey shrugged as he climbed to his feet. “I’ve been better, but I’m alright.”

Han wiped his hands on a rag and then pulled her into a hug. “Hey kid, if you need anything you know Leia and I are here for you, right? You’re family.”

Rey felt tears prick at her eyes and she swallowed down a lump in her throat before replying. “I know, Han, thank you. It means a lot.”

Han smiled warmly and pushed her towards the door to the house. “C’mon, Leia’ll kill me if I keep you out here all day before she even gets a chance to see you.”

Rey laughed as he continued, “But after she sees you I want you to take a look under the Falcon with me. I’m having some trouble with the carburetor and I’m hoping your much knowledge and much smaller hands might do the trick.”

“Han, I know you are not trying to get that girl under a car when she just got here,” Leia’s voice floated out from farther in the house.

“Of course not, dear, I wouldn’t dream of it,” Han hollered back before murmuring, “I’ll show you what I mean later.”

Rey stifled a grin and nodded at him. Having grown up in relative poverty, she might still feel uncomfortable with the easy opulence around her in their house, but Ben’s parents certainly did their best to make her feel at home. When they reached the kitchen Rey spotted Leia by the oven, pulling a tray of cookies out.

Rey crinkled her nose in confusion and asked, “You baked?”

“Heavens no,” Leia snorted. “They’re from a tub that a middle schooler talked me into buying. I thought you might like something sweet when you got here.”

“Thank you, Leia,” Rey said, taking a small plate with a few cookies on it. Her sweet tooth had become something of a legend in the Organa-Solo household. Apparently eating three-quarters of a pie by yourself at Christmas dinner was unusual.

Leia sat down at the large kitchen table with her own plate of cookies before speaking again. “So dear, I’m sure you didn’t come over for my famed baking prowess. You look a little stressed, is something wrong?”

Rey slumped into a chair and sighed softly. “I haven’t heard from Ben in over a month.”

“That’s unusual, isn’t it?” Leia asked, her brows drawing together as she shot a look at Han, who had taken a position leaning against the counter. “We’re in touch pretty sporadically due to our schedules, but I always got the impression that you two talked frequently.”

“It’s really unusual. I don’t want to worry you, but I’m worried, and I just needed to talk to someone who would understand.”

“Oh darling, I’m grateful you thought to come to us. I won’t lie and say that’s not worrying, but we haven’t heard anything. They would contact us if something had gone wrong.”

“I know,” Rey said, swallowing down a lump. “But why hasn’t he called or emailed, then? If he’s okay, why hasn’t he replied?”

“He might just be busy, or somewhere where he can’t access the internet,” Han suggested, though his shoulders had tightened. “That’s happened before, right?”

Rey nodded. Two years before Ben had been in a location where it wasn’t possible to use a phone or the internet for three weeks, but he had warned her beforehand. “Yeah, it has. He told me he wouldn’t be able to talk then, though. But I guess maybe he just didn’t know this time? I don’t know. I’m just worried.”

Leia put her hand over Rey’s across the table. “I understand, we both do. But Ben is too stubborn to let anything keep him from coming home to you.”

“To us,” Rey corrected.

Han snorted loudly, “Don’t kid yourself, kid. If he’s coming home, it’s for you. We would be an afterthought.”

“Han,” Leia said warningly.

Han raised his hands in surrender. “Sorry, sorry. I’m working on it. Rey, I’m gonna go get back under the Falcon, grab a creeper when you’re done in here.”

Rey nodded her assent and watched him leave.

“He’s still trying to deal with some bitterness,” Leia said, keeping her tone light. “It’s a work in progress. Sorry about that.”

“It’s all right, Leia. Ben has been honest with me that he was also in the wrong, and he’s working on his feelings, too.”

“And that’s why I have hope for our family,” Leia said, smiling at her. “You’re a big part of that. I’m not sure we ever would have gotten Ben back without you.”

“I’m sure that’s not true,” Rey rebutted. She had encouraged Ben when he had talked about getting back in touch with his parents, but it had been his idea, and she never would have forced it on him.

“I think it is,” Leia replied. “But either way, we’re very happy to have both of you in our lives and our family.”

Rey smiled and took a bite of her cookie, unable to put her feelings into words. Leia seemed to understand that and moved back to the oven, transferring the tray of cookies to a cooling rack, and leaving Rey to her thoughts. Rey finished her cookie and stood. She gave Leia a hug and told her she was going to go help Han with the Falcon.

Leia rolled her eyes, “You don’t have to help him with that hunk of junk, you know.”

Rey feigned offense and put her hand to her chest in mock outrage. “Don’t let Han hear you call it that. It’s a beautiful car, though, truly, and I’m happy to help with it if I can.”

“If you say so.”

———

Rey made her way back outside, grabbed a creeper of her own, and slid herself under the car beside Han.

“Hey kid,” Han said. “So here’s the issue…”

He spent the next few minutes describing the problem he was having, and he and Rey worked diligently to get the carburetor back in working order. After half an hour Rey felt a tap on her foot.

“Did you need me, Leia?” Rey asked, gritting her teeth as she tried to tighten a bolt.

There was no response, but another tap on her foot. With a sigh, Rey let go of the wrench and pushed herself out from under the car, freezing when she stared up and up and up into the face of the man she loved.

“Should’ve known my dad would have you working on this hunk of junk,” Ben said, grinning at her.

“BEN!” Rey cried, scrambling to her feet and throwing her arms around him, heedless of the grease she was getting on his coat.

Ben hugged her tightly back before pulling away slightly so he could kiss her. A kiss that was interrupted by a cry of “Hunk of junk?!” from underneath the car. Ben pulled back and stared into Rey’s eyes, ignoring his father’s indignation.

“Hey, sweetheart. I’ve missed you.”

Rey felt tears trailing down her face, but she didn’t care. “How are you here? Where have you been? I was so worried.”

“I’ve got leave for a month. Kinda got a bit injured on my last mission, smashed my phone, and by the time I was able to get online I was already back in the US and wanted to surprise you,” Ben explained, smiling down at her.

“You certainly did that, you big jerk. You had me so worried. I’m so glad you’re here.” Rey hugged him again, still in awe that he was actually with her.

“Sorry about that. I’m glad I’m here too. There’s nowhere else I’d rather be.”

Han clapped his son on the back with a grin on his face. “I’m glad you’re here too, Ben. In a different way, of course.”

Ben laughed and gave his father a quick hug. “Of course.”

“We should get you in to see your mother before she finds out we didn’t tell her immediately that you’re here.”

Ben tucked Rey into his side and nodded. “I’d like to see Mom, too.”

“You can try one of her cookies,” Rey said, smiling up at him.

“Mom baked? And you want me to eat it? I thought you were happy I was here?”

Rey and Han both laughed as they made their way back inside, Ben in tow. The past month had felt so long to Rey, having no contact from the man she loved. But with him by her side now, she knew this month would fly by, and she planned to spend every moment of it showing him exactly how much she loved him.


End file.
